


guess i'm feeling unmoored (can't remember what i used to fight for)

by deandratb



Category: GLOW (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:15:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28069908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deandratb/pseuds/deandratb
Summary: Sam consoles Ruth after she doesn't book an audition.
Relationships: Sam Sylvia/Ruth Wilder
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11
Collections: 12 Days of Ficlets





	guess i'm feeling unmoored (can't remember what i used to fight for)

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 of 12 Days of Ficlets, requested by [@archaeologue](https://archaeologue.tumblr.com). Prompt: **"I noticed."**

Her match against Debbie went fine that night, ran as smoothly as ever--which made it all the more alarming when Sam came out to the arena after everyone else was gone and found Ruth sitting up against the ropes, in tears.

“What the hell is this? I was gone for ten minutes.”

“I heard back from that commercial I tried to book. They went in another direction.”

“Ah. That sucks.”

Sam took a seat next to her, pulling her close. “There’ll be more commercials.”

“Sure there will. And I won’t get those, either.” 

He didn’t say more, just waited. Sam wasn’t a patient person, but he was an uncharacteristically good listener when it came to her. Always had been.

Ruth exhaled hard. “It’s just...I’m such a failure. I keep going to auditions, but nobody books me, and I’m trying so hard. I swear, I’m a good actress. I don’t understand why I can’t get anybody to notice.”

She swiped at the tears streaking down her face, leaving dark smudges under her eyes from her stage makeup.

“Hey,” Sam protested. “I noticed. I hired you, remember?”

“You hired me because you like me. Clearly,” Ruth added, running her fingers along the arm he’d wrapped around her, until they found his, splayed possessively over her hip.

“You’re wrong.” He kissed the side of her neck. “I didn’t know what to think of you when we met. Or for a long time after. I feel like I might’ve called you ugly somewhere in there, even. I was pretty drunk in the beginning.”

She laughed. “Is this supposed to be a pep talk? Because it’s not going very well.”

“It’s not a pep talk, Ruth. You think I know how to give a fucking pep talk? It’s the truth. I didn’t like you when I hired you--I didn’t know you yet. Mostly, I thought you seemed crazy. But I could see your talent. It was undeniable.”

Ruth sniffled, picturing herself demonstrating her moves and her persona that first time. She hadn’t felt talented at all back then, just determined to prove herself. To create something new, since the places she wanted to go wouldn’t let her in. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t even sure how ‘lady wrestling’ was going to work, I wasn’t totally sold, and then you showed up in your crazy costume and basically dared me to fire you twice. I couldn’t. Because we needed what you have.”

“Talent.”

“Exactly.” He kissed her neck again, this time smiling against it for a few seconds before letting her go. 

“Look, I won’t deny that you’re not as obvious a choice as somebody like Debbie. She’s got that bombshell thing, and you’re more interesting than that. But that’s why you blow me and everybody else away as Zoya. You’re theatrical. You carry acting with you wherever you go.”

She thought that over. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.”

“Me neither. But it’s true.”

“So I shouldn’t worry about my complete inability to book a role outside of G.L.O.W. because I’m talented whether the world sees it or not? No offense, Sam, but even if I’d like to believe that, it won’t get me paid--or seen by a larger audience.”

“I know. But neither will giving up, because you’re not booking gigs and that must mean they’re right and you’re wrong. Screw them. Keep trying.”

“It hurts.”

“Yeah, well, life’s tough. You’re an actress, and somewhere out there is a director with a role that’s perfect for you--even if he’s an idiot like me and won’t know it ‘til you prove it to him.”

She smiled, leaned over to kiss him. “You’re not an idiot.”

“Not anymore, maybe. But I almost let you go, and that would have been truly idiotic.”

“Hey, Sam?”

“What?”

“You’re actually pretty good at pep talks.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title borrowed from "Evermore" by Taylor Swift.


End file.
